Mismatch
Page 53
It was hard to think about anything when he was looking at me so intensely. Sleeping with Anders was not part of my future.
He turned and slapped the hull of the starship, breaking the tension between us. “How about we climb in and pretend I didn’t crash anything. We’re taking this sweet little bird out today instead of a clunky scout ship.�
I shook my head.
“Come on, Gwen. I’ve made mistakes, and you’ve made mistakes. What’s the harm in adding one more to the list?�
“Well, that’s an interesting take on things.� I smiled. I didn’t care about anything considering the way I was feeling. “But if I lose my job, you have to give me your allowance for the week. That should set me up for life.�
I was just joking, but he looked at me seriously. “You got it.�
I sighed. “Okay, but no touching.� I meant the spacecraft, but he did a double-take. His eyes looked hot again. Maybe I just imagined it, but my body was reacting to the unintended double entendre.
“No, of course not.� He tore his eyes away from me and climbed into the beautiful ship.
Anders looked like nothing was unusual once we were inside admiring the sleek design and perfection of the cockpit. But he asked me something completely unrelated to spaceships.
“We tested you to see if you carried the H4T7 gene, right?�
He appeared to be studying the console in front of him. I noticed that his hands were balled into fists as if that were the only way he could keep himself from touching anything. I wanted to see what was in his eyes, but he wouldn’t look at me.
“Yeah. They wouldn’t consider any woman for the crew who tested positive. People couldn’t interview if they were carriers. I never understood why. I didn’t sign up to breed.�
He nodded. “It was just a precaution. Even if the initial purpose wasn’t to carry a baby…â€� He seemed reluctant to continue. “If a woman changed her mind, she could still get pregnant and have a girl.â€�
“I see.� I didn’t see at all. Why was he telling me this? I had a general idea, but I ignored it, just like all the other times I pretended there were no signs he wanted to be more than friends. I was married.
Technically, I supposed I was not married any longer. But still, Anders and I were best friends. I needed him now more than ever.
Of course, I had other friends and acquaintances, coworkers and people I kept in touch with back home, but nobody understood me like Anders. He always made me feel better when I was down or brought me food when I forgot to eat. He’d helped me study for my intergalactic pilot’s license and always teased me about his royal family.
I couldn’t do anything that might jeopardize our friendship.
Our transport ship was enormous and carried the population of a small town. It was so big that it was easy to forget we were on a spaceship. If I didn’t know any better, I could have imagined I was on solid ground.
So I got worried when we had an earthquake. The ship wasn’t supposed to shake or groan. In fact, there had never been any detectable movement while I was a passenger. The jarring movement and noise lasted only a second.
“Anders? Did you feel that?�
He looked like he had no idea what I meant. “Feel what?�
“The long shudder. What do you think it was?�
He shrugged. “I don’t know.�
“Do you think the engines are malfunctioning?� I was getting annoyed that he wasn’t taking me more seriously. “Maybe we crashed into something.�
“Gwen, relax. It wasn’t that big of a bump.�
Without warning, we were rocked back in our seats by the force of a second earthquake. We flew forward again onto the controls. I smashed my head against the console. I reached up to feel my forehead, and there was a big bump on it. I hoped I didn’t have a concussion.
“Okay, that was a big one.� Anders started checking the computers to see if there had been any communications about possible flight problems. “Maybe you were right. Something weird is happening.�
I felt around in one of my pockets where I knew I kept an Instacold pack that was good for swelling, found it, and pressed it to my forehead. I felt a lot better immediately. I had an entire first aid kit stashed in my pockets with anything we might need.
The docking bay intercom started broadcasting. It was a strange voice speaking in Standard. “Attention all passengers. Your captain is indisposed at the moment, and I will be assuming his responsibilities. My name is Dercom Haldoan, and I am head of the Guild of Private Spacecraft Detention and Reassignment. You might know us as the Scarfaces.�
“I don’t know who the Scarfaces are.�
“He should have just said he was a pirate.� Anders’ voice sounded dark.
“We will be detaining your ship temporarily until we can redistribute your cargo.�
“They’re going to loot us and sell everything,� Anders translated.
The pirate was still talking. “And since you have such a lovely manifest that will fetch a premium price at the slave markets, we may spare the men’s lives, if you cooperate.� His voice sounded menacing. “If not, we’ll sell all the women anyway, but every man on this ship will die.�
My blood ran cold, and I put a hand to my mouth. I didn’t want to be a slave.
Anders was looking up something on his computer. “Where are the life-form readings? Ah, here we go.�
“What are you doing?� I leaned over to see the screen.
“This is a representation of our ship. The blue dots are the passengers we have on record.�
There were a few blue dots, but they were hard to see because red dots covered so much of the diagram we could barely make out the lines of the ship. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but what are the red dots?�
“Those are the pirates.�
“Well, shit.� I felt truly afraid for the first time in my life.
The screen lit up with an incoming call. Anders answered it immediately. “Is this line encrypted?�
Ayrie’s face displayed on the screen. “It is,� Anders’ older brother said. “You need to come to the panic room.�
“Is everyone there already?�
“Everyone who matters. Father’s here. Me and Elle. Arnon and his family are all safe. Allex and Avren are in the secret passages already. You need to get here. Is that Gwen with you? Go ahead and bring her too.�
Anders didn’t respond.
Ayrie’s voice sounded tense. “Didn’t you hear the announcement? Pirates have boarded the ship.�
“I heard it. How could I not? Let me think for a minute.�
“There’s no time to think.â€� Ayrie had a wild look on his face. “We can’t risk anything happening to…â€� He looked up and off the screen. “Avren’s here. We’re going to have to seal the door soon.â€�
“Anders?� I put my hand on his shoulder to get his attention. “You should go now.�
He looked up at me. “What did you say?�
“It’s time for you to go. If you have a secure location, you should go there.� My heart was thumping, and I didn’t know what I should do myself. I wanted Anders to be out of harm’s way. If I knew he was okay, everything else would be easier to bear.
“No way.� He shook his head emphatically. “I’ll show you where the secret passage is and you can follow it to the panic room. I’m not going.�
“I hope y
ou didn’t just say what I think you said.� Ayrie had a frown on his face.
“What do you mean, Anders? I thought your family knew what to do in an emergency.� I didn’t have a clue what Anders was thinking.
“Yes. But I have another plan.� There was determination in his voice and on his face.
“Anders, the last thing we need is for you to have a plan.� Ayrie’s voice came from the screen.
“I’m getting out of here.� Anders sounded confident. “I’ll bring back some help.�
“What?� Ayrie rolled his eyes. “You’ll never make it out of here. They have a tractor beam. No one can get in or out.�
Anders raised an eyebrow. “Do you really think I can’t get out if I want to?�
Ayrie pursed his lips. “It’s a bad idea.�
“You know what a tractor beam is, right? You’re not going anywhere.� I had no idea what Anders had in mind.
He glanced at me. “Piloting isn’t the only thing I’m good at. I have other skills, too.�
The look in his eyes made my pulse pound. What were we talking about, again? Then I had an idea. “You’re good with computers, aren’t you?�
“You can learn a lot of things without having a degree.�
Ayrie rolled his eyes. “I’ve known him his entire life. He has a degree in programming and technology. He got it when he was young because he was bored. He never did anything with it except hack into places he shouldn’t have access to.�
“Is that how you took the fighter out for a spin? I always wondered how you did that.�
Anders shrugged. “I can get out. You know I can, Ayrie. And I’ll come back. We’re not letting these bastards enslave our women. Forget about saving our people. It’s a matter of doing what’s right.�
Ayrie didn’t look convinced.
“Just give me a chance.� I heard a yearning in his voice to prove more than just a rich screwup. “I can do it.�
Ayrie frowned, thinking. “If there’s a chance you can get out of here and bring back help, it might be worth the risk.�
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you.� Anders sensed an opening and rushed through it. “I’ll send Gwen down the tunnels. You’ll make sure she’s safe, won’t you?�
“Like hell you will.� I spoke up before Ayrie could respond.
“What do you mean? Are you planning to be a pirate’s bride or something?�
“Not exactly. I’m going with you.�
“What?� Anders frowned. “No way. It’s too dangerous.�
“Really? More dangerous than being stuck on a starship with a bunch of pirates who want to sell me to the highest bidder?� I looked at him like he was an idiot. “Tell me how you’re going to fly that thing by yourself, partner.� Anders could be rash at times, but I still liked him.
“You have a good point.�
“I guess this means Gwen’s not coming to the panic room.� Ayrie was grinning this time.
“I suppose not.� Anders drew his eyebrows together.
“Okay, I’ll tell Father. You better appreciate what I’m doing for you. We’re going to seal it, and you won’t be able to communicate with us.�
Anders nodded. “Stay safe, Ayrie.�
“You too, little brother. Take care, Gwen.�
I nodded nervously. It was hard for me to speak a sentence when one of the princes addressed me directly. I heard someone speak from off screen, but I couldn’t make out the words.
“Go ahead and do it.� Ayrie was talking to someone outside of our view. “Avren’s here, and we’re going to shut the door. Have a good flight, brother.�
Anders nodded solemnly. The screen went dark, and we looked at each other.
“Why can’t they get messages out once the door is sealed?� What a pointless panic room.
“It’s made from a rare mineral that can’t be blown up, set on fire, or drilled. When they’re in there, the pirates can’t get to them. There are enough supplies for them to hold out for quite a while. Unfortunately, the material also blocks all electronic communications. It’s a small price to pay for the safety of the royal family. We made our panic room at home out of the same material.�
We were silent for a moment until Anders grinned at me and patted the console in front of him. “I guess we get to take this baby out for a ride after all.�
Chapter Three
ANDERS
The light was dim in the empty docking bay. I started to sweat thinking about what I had told Ayrie. A thousand doubts filled my mind, but Gwen immediately took my mind off them by speaking about practicalities.
“I’m going to do the fastest check I’ve ever done.� She opened the door to the fighter and jumped down with a thump of her boots. “You better figure out how to open the hangar. Otherwise, we aren’t going to be taking this baby anywhere.�
I looked at her beautiful face and her red hair bouncing in a ponytail as she turned away, and felt inappropriately happy that she was coming with me. I used my computer to open a virtual screen and keyboard. I could hear Gwen walking around the ship.
The pirates had set up some basic security protocols, but I was able to slice through them and disable their tractor beam. The barriers protecting it were pathetic. It was like the walls were paper and I had a firehose. I identified our docking bay door and managed to isolate it from the rest of their security network. Now I could open it whenever I wanted. Finally, I set up a few false leads to cover my tracks. With luck, they wouldn’t be able to figure out which parts of the code I had changed.
I took a moment to check the ship’s maintenance log to make sure someone had recently changed the paralytic converter. I didn’t want it failing on me if we needed to land on a planet.
“We’re ready to go here.� I jumped out of the ship. “Are you done?�
“Almost. Help me finish up.� She was crawling around, checking the undercarriage points. “Do me a favor and look at the service log.� Her voice was muffled under the ship.
“I did it already.� I smiled. “We don’t want to end up crashing like Ayrie and Elle.�
“Yeah, we definitely don’t want that.� She sounded worried. “Of course, it worked out well for them.�
I froze. Ayrie and Elle had fallen in love on a deserted island on Vandwa when they got marooned after a shuttle crash. “I guess it did.� Why was she bringing that up?
I shook my head and continued the inspection. It was probably just me reading into things again. Gwen was brokenhearted about being cheated on and divorced by her asshole husband. She was still in love with him. And I was traumatizing myself by thinking she might be implying anything else. Even if she weren’t still in love with Jake, she would never be interested in me.
“Last one.� Her voice sounded strained. One inspection point on this model was a tight fit.
The door leading into the docking bay opened and I heard the sound of heavy boots entering the room. None of our crew would be in here. It had to be pirates. Why hadn’t we locked the door?
“Do a thorough sweep and make sure there’s no one in here,� a rough male voice ordered. He was probably a commander. I heard the door close.
“There’s nothing I enjoy more than doing an exhaustive search of an empty docking bay,� another male voice complained.
&n
bsp; “Let’s just get it done.� This time, an agreeable female voice spoke.
“Shit,� I whispered under my breath. Gwen didn’t say anything from under the ship, but she must have heard them too. What should we do? Opening the hatch would make a lot of noise and draw attention to us.
The footsteps came closer. I dropped to the ground and rolled under the ship until I was face-to-face with Gwen. She looked frightened. We stared into each other’s eyes as the footsteps proceeded across the docking bay, stopping at every starship.
I hoped they wouldn’t look underneath any ships. I needed to prove I was worthy. I didn’t want my chance at redemption to end before it started.
The boots came closer until they were walking around us. I could smell the metallic odor of the ships. On top of that, tickling my senses, was a floral scent coming from Gwen. I hoped they couldn’t smell her.
The boots stopped right beside our fighter. I could see them on the other side of Gwen. Her eyes got big, and she pressed her lips together.
“Do we have to check under each one?� the first voice complained. “There’s no one hiding out in a docking bay. Some of these ships are brand new. The flight crews even haven’t taken them out yet. There are still seals on the doors.�
“There aren’t any seals on this one.� I heard suspicion in the woman’s voice as she moved next to the first set of boots.
Their conversation was interrupted by a new male voice yelling from across the bay.
“Are you two finished in there yet?�
“Yeah, we’re done,� the first male voice said.
“But Dorron…â€�
“Took you long enough. Get over here. We need you. Some of the men are being difficult.�
“I don’t want to execute everyone on the ship,� the female muttered.
“They won’t, Oona,� Dorron voice answered her. “That would be too much work. He’s just making threats so they’ll roll over. You know that.�